First public hearing on Fall River mayor's proposed budget set for Monday

City Council President Joseph Camara has scheduled the first in a series of hearings to discuss Mayor Will Flanagan's proposed fiscal 2015 budget during a public Finance Committee meeting on Monday at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Government Center.

FALL RIVER — City Council President Joseph Camara has scheduled the first in a series of hearings to discuss Mayor Will Flanagan’s proposed fiscal 2015 budget during a public Finance Committee meeting on Monday at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Government Center.

The meeting will deal with the municipal side of the budget and will be attended by City Administrator Cathy Ann Viveiros, City Treasurer John Nunes and City Auditor Krishan Gupta.

Camara said he plans on just four public meetings before the June 30 deadline for the council to either approve, reject or decrease the proposed budget.

Historically, the hearings have begun the third week in June, but Camara said he received inquiries from his fellow councilors as to when the public discussion would begin and that he’s heard consensus among the council members that they do not support Flangan’s budget.

“Chances are, it will go back to the mayor and I don’t want to wait to the end of June for it to go back to him,” Camara said. “If it does get sent back, we want to give him as much of an opportunity as possible.”

Because the hearing is part of the Finance Committee meeting and not a special meeting, Camara said public input will be allowed.

Meanwhile, the members of the Public Employees Committee announced a new four-year agreement between Fall River’s municipal employees and the city administration that preserves the existing health care plans, but at a greater cost to the workers and retirees, according to Fall River police Sgt. Joseph Castro, the PEC chairman and a member of the Fall River Police Superior Officers Association.

While the agreement keeps city employees from being moved into the state Group Insurance Commission, a shift the city’s 13 unions vehemently opposed, Castro made it clear the new health care agreement — which retains coverage by Blue Cross Blue Shield — increasing health costs for both employees and retirees was not the wish of the PEC.

Castro said the city will see continued savings with the Blue Cross plan, estimating savings of $9 million.

However, Flanagan’s financial team has placed the savings at $6 million.

The GIC’s goal was to keep members using services with their existing physicians and to avoid astronomical costs if an employee or retiree were to need medical care if transported to Rhode Island Hospital, despite the increases deductibles, out-of-pocket costs and medication costs.